The rains down in Thailand

(by Annie)

Our last but certainly not least stop in Southern Thailand was Kao Sok National Park. I enjoy a beach with the best of them, but after a week I suggested we take in some of the jungles and waterfalls that also make south the place to be.

The 6 am bus took us literally to the doorsteps of the park. We jumped off expected to walk two kilometers to some of the cheaper hotels closer to the park. Well, we were calmly greeted by four poster holding Thai hotel owners. They were so nice and calm literally Rachael and I almost did a coin flip for which hotel to stay at – we ended up choosing the cheaper of the two – the Evergreen Guest House. For $2 a person we had a cozy jungle bungalow complete with fresh towels and the nicest bathroom we’ve seen yet.

After unpacking and unloading all our beach laundry we headed right into the park. Not only did they have a student price but also the pass was good for 24 hours. So, for three dollars we had two days of waterfalls and lounging.

The park itself actually is really well done. The visitor center is well built and the trails, at least at the beginning, are well marked. The hour hike gave Rachael the physical activity she had been craving and me new views to take in. It ended in a small swimming pool where Rachael fought the river current and I finished my latest book. We saw rain on the horizon and monkeys in the trees so we headed back to the larger trail and back for some beers and dinner, only getting rained on for about five minutes.

After a wonderful night sleep in the jungle. I forgot how the orchestra of nature is really unique in each place. However, there were a few “out of tune” instruments near our bungalow and one bird had a rooster quality that was very humorous to watch Rachael wake up to. In fact I think her exact words were, “What the hell is that?” Birds aside – day two was much like day one only we didn’t get to the waterfall we hoped for because the trail was closed, so instead we took what we believed to be the original trail through the jungle up and down looking at a living and breathing eco-system.

Our viewpoint jaunt brought us back to this damn like watering hole. Here we soaked up some rays, read some books, and planned the rest of our trip to Cambodia. Early afternoon came and we headed back to the cabin for movies and naps. Perhaps equally as entertaining were the people we met at the Evergreen. Hmmm…let’s just say Britain has its own GI Jane and Holland never ceases to amaze us in the crazies it churns out. But, cheers, they make our nights and as long as you have a beer in hand it’s better than watching a movie.

We lazily got up and checked email before heading towards the bus stop. This really could be a post in itself but really I couldn’t adequately explain it and nobody in their right mind would believe it. So, the 150 kilometer journey to Surat Thani where we would catch our train took five hours. First, we got kicked off a public bus for not paying a dollar over, then got picked up by an UNC alumni whose car had a karokee player where we all sang Numa Numa, finally only to be dropped off at a 7-11 where we finally got a bus to the train station. (Please excuse my necessary run on sentence) Inside the bus was the Thai equivalent of my grandmother’s nursing home floor. Wonderfully ironically we arrived at the station with twenty minutes to spare for the first night train.

Have I mentioned I like trains? Well I do. And for about $10 dollars we had two wonderful beds, with real sheets, pillows, and even fans. Even more wonderful was the dining car. All the employees were sipping out of buckets of beer, Eminem playing in the background, and there was even disco type lights to illuminate our rousing game of Rummy, which of course the staff heartily joined in on. Three beers later we were ready for bed and it was comfy – even Rachael who can sleep anywhere and everywhere in any condition was like a little kid in a candy store.

At 4:30 we were rustled awake as Bangkok was on the horizon. Remarkably we timed the trains perfectly so after some Dunkin’ Donuts and a $1 train ticket we were off to the Cambodian border. Six hours later and remarkably well rested we were globe trotting again.